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VeggieTales: Abe and the Amazing Promise

By Belinda Elliott
CBN.com Senior Internet Producer

CBN.com
- God always keeps His promises, even if you have to wait awhile to see them fulfilled. That’s the message of the latest VeggieTales episode, Abe and the Amazing Promise, available Feb. 7. In this newest installment, Bob the Tomato interviews Abraham and Sarah about how they waited years for the child promised to them by God.

Junior Asparagus joins in as the film crew records the interview, but his patience is quickly tested by an overzealous nurse, spitting camels, and other mishaps. As Bob presses on with the interview, Junior must learn the value of waiting.

Abraham and Sarah (voiced by syndicated radio host “Delilah”) explain that they had to wait a long time before God fulfilled His promise to them. Waiting wasn’t easy, Abraham explains, but it was worth it. He tells viewers that when facing times of waiting, the key is to trust God.

“It’s all about hope and trusting that God is going to do what He says he is going to do,” Abe says.

As a loyal VeggieTales fan, it pains me to say this isn’t one of their most clever episodes. Apart from a word pun that gets overused within the first half-hour, there just aren’t that many laughs in Abe’s story. But keeping in mind that their primary audience isn’t adults, I guess the show is ample to keep younger viewers entertained.

The episode picks up a bit in the second half with “Blunders in Boo-Boo-Ville.” Larry the Cucumber is an inventor, but he often takes short-cuts to make his work go faster. The problem is, due to his hastiness, most of inventions fail miserably. One of his inventions gone awry creates a rift in his friendship with Bob the Tomato, and he must embark on his next task alone.

It is nearing the time of the great “Boo-Boo-Bird Festival,” but there haven’t been any Boo-Boo Birds spotted in the town for a long time. The festival is in danger of being canceled if the town’s residents can’t come up with a way to attract the birds back to their city. Larry begins a project that could solve the town’s problems, but will he be patient enough to see it through?

Though not as funny as some of their past episodes, Abe and the Amazing Promise adeptly illustrates the importance of patience. Based on both Abraham’s story of waiting and receiving what was promised (Hebrews 6:15) and Proverbs 19:2, which advises us not to have zeal without knowledge, the story demonstrates the value of waiting on God. As one of the characters summarizes at the show’s conclusion, “God gives us what we need when we need it.”

The episode also features a new silly song with Larry entitled, “Sneeze If You Need To!” as well as several fun bonus features including an interactive game and a lesson on how to draw Abraham and a Boo-Boo Bird.

Overall, Abe and the Amazing Promise should be a hit with kids while teaching them valuable biblical lessons.

About CBN

CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 147 countries and territories, with programs and content in 62 languages.